Supplement -Brief History of Antinuclear Movment-

After WW2, United Nations (U.N.) proposed the Baruch Plan to establish an international corporation for the peaceful application of nuclear energy in 1946. A movement against military controlling nuclear energy by scientists has developed. The MacMahon Act was passed to realize civil control of the atom in U.S.

As a new source of energy, the first civilian nuclear power plant was installed in Shippingport, Pennsylvania. According to Downey, American view of "national progress as a process constituted by enhanced individual freedom manifest in increasing economic standards of living and facilitated by democratic government. The ideology makes progress a responsibility as well an effort of economic activity..." (Downey 1986:388) That is, Americans were responsible for their progress.

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In the 1958, there was the first Aldermaston march to protest nuclear weapon. Later they also started singing and playing guitar. [Wikipedia 2012]

During 1960s several protests were done by citizen to resist to both commercial and military uses of nuclear power. Before 1960's, nuclear energy was considered as eco-friendly energy even by antinuclear groups. [Wellock 1998] And still, some people believe that is true. In 1957 the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was founded.

In the 1970's, people started paying attention to broad range of environmental problems such as air pollution, water pollution, and the quality of life. At the same time, the ecology and environmentalist movement emerged. As a result, antinuclear movement started to deal with thermal pollution.[Prince 1990]

The large nuclear movement has emerged after 1973-73 energy crisis. The Sierra Club, one of the oldest, largest, and most influential environmental organization in the U.S, started to oppose nuclear plant construction until safety and waste disposal problems had been solved. This stance is called nuclear moratorium. The antinuclear movement was born.

The accidental death of Karen Silkwood, a worker at the plutonium-reprocessing facility, and natural events such as danger of tsunami at Diablo Canyon created a sense of urgency. And necessity of international cooperation was acknowledged. Supporters of antinuclear movement were becoming more inclusive of diverse segments of society. [Prince 1990]

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Occupancy of Seabrook nuclear plant in New Hampshire by members of the Clamshell Alliance was successful.

The Three Mile Island accident occurred on 28th March 1979 in Harrisburg Pennsylvania triggered demonstrations such as "playing dead" in San Francisco. It became a symbol of antinuclear movement.

There are many antinuclear movements in Europe too. The famous group is Friends of the Earth. They used similar strategic and tactical leadership to American used. In West Germany, Sweden, France, Holland, and Britain movement became strongest. [Prince 1990]

There were not so many powerful oppositions to nuclear power in Asia or in South America. However in Japan antinuclear movement that oppose nuclear weapons was more popular.

"Reagan revolution" brought fundamental changes in national policy. The Chernobyl nuclear power disastrous accident brought antinuclear protests change of their tactics and strategies of antinuclear movement. Their concern shifted to evacuation plans in the case of a nuclear accident, nuclear-waste dump sites, safety violations and cover-ups, the breeder reactor and nuclear fuels reprocessing and the production of plutonium for use in nuclear weapons. [Prince 1990]